Cutting material with a laser in many applications produces a clean cut. Generally the material being cut is completely vaporized into a clear gaseous component. There are situations, depending on the type of laser being used and the material being cut, wherein the cutting produces degradation components that are visible. There are applications wherein a clean-cut is very desirable, if not necessary. Such visible degradation components are detrimental to many uses of polymeric film or sheet material. Applications where a clean-cut is desirable when the sheet material or film requires clear visual appearance or unperturbed optical properties.
Past attempts for removing visible degradation components include positioning a vacuum source such as a cutting surface having a plurality of vacuum holes through which a vacuum is pulled. Such a vacuum box is on a side opposite of the laser beam cutting the material. The degradation components (referred to as debris) then flow in the direction of the air suction.
Other attempts to do away with the debris and discolorization include masking one or both surfaces of the film. The masking results in additional costs in both masking material and the additional step of removing the masking material after the material is cut.